Suchergebnisse

Cover -- Contents -- Introduction -- Focus and research question -- Contributions -- Limitations -- Structure -- Part I: From a growing economy to a‐growth economies -- Chapter 1: Growth in the Capitalocene -- Why are we growth addicted? -- Escalation -- Limits -- Green growth - an oxymoron? -- Why grow in the first place? -- Interim conclusion -- Chapter 2: Alternative economies -- Alterity and diversity -- Degrowth -- Postcapitalism -- Towards a radical theory and praxis -- Chapter 3: Transformation, transition, and agency -- Sustainability transition research -- Grassroots innovations and the social economy -- Agents and allies of transformation -- Transition, transformation, and politics -- Interlude I: Geographies of change -- Part II: Transformative geographies: space, politics and change -- Chapter 4: Reimagining togetherness -- Community -- Community economy -- Economic diversity -- Poststructuralist transformative geographies -- Epistemic fallacy? -- Chapter 5: Materialization -- From regimes of signification to practice -- Practice theories -- Working with the concept of practice -- Institutions and organizations in practice -- Chapter 6: Scale and power in transformative geographies -- Scale -- Power -- Chapter 7: From transformative geographies to a degrowth transition -- Interventions in practice -- Towards a degrowth transition -- Degrowth practices and politics -- Operationalization: the diverse logics perspective -- Interlude II: Strategies for transformation -- Part III: Researching transformative geographies -- Chapter 8: A practice theory methodology -- Chapter 9: Planning and conducting research on a degrowth case study -- The case of Stuttgart -- Research design -- Chapter 10: Research as practice -- Participatory action research -- Positionality and self‐reflection -- Chapter 11: Data analysis.

In the light of social and environmental unsustainability and injustice, the continuing attachment to the idea that a growth-based economy is reconcilable with ecological limits seems increasingly implausible. Tracing and dissecting the complexities of social change, Benedikt Schmid speaks about the development of visions, alternatives, and strategies for a radical transformation beyond growth-based economies. Covering an empirical sample of 24 eco-social organizations, projects, and groupings in the city of Stuttgart (Germany), the study drills down into the social, spatial, and strategic dimensions of transformation. It advances a conceptually and empirically grounded assessment of the possibilities and limitations of community activism and civil engagement in shifting transformative geographies towards a degrowth trajectory.

Contemporary trajectories of unsustainability and injustice require a profound restructuring of political, economic, and cultural institutions not sufficiently reflected in top-down governance. Diverse bottom-up actors and organizations that attempt to practice and institute more sustainable and just relations, in turn, have to tackle unfavorable conditions and generally lack the resources to take full effect. This paper critically discusses the role of strategy and compromise in facing this cycle of institutional inertia and lack of bottom-up agency. To illustrate its argument, the paper draws on an ethnographic case study on community-led initiatives in Stuttgart (Germany). It traces the ways in which a particular arrangement—an "open workshop"—supports individuals and organizations in their engagement in sustainability-oriented activities while substantiating ethically and socially ambiguous practices. Building on these empirical insights, the paper develops a notion of strategy that revolves around the reflective construction of hybrid but transformative infrastructures to strike a balance between ethical congruency and transformative pragmatism.

Contemporary trajectories of unsustainability and injustice require a profound restructuring of political, economic, and cultural institutions not sufficiently reflected in top-down governance. Diverse bottom-up actors and organizations that attempt to practice and institute more sustainable and just relations, in turn, have to tackle unfavorable conditions and generally lack the resources to take full effect. This paper critically discusses the role of strategy and compromise in facing this cycle of institutional inertia and lack of bottom-up agency. To illustrate its argument, the paper draws on an ethnographic case study on community-led initiatives in Stuttgart (Germany). It traces the ways in which a particular arrangement—an "open workshop"—supports individuals and organizations in their engagement in sustainability-oriented activities while substantiating ethically and socially ambiguous practices. Building on these empirical insights, the paper develops a notion of strategy that revolves around the reflective construction of hybrid but transformative infrastructures to strike a balance between ethical congruency and transformative pragmatism.

In the light of social and environmental unsustainability and injustice, the continuing attachment to the idea that a growth-based economy is reconcilable with human prosperity and ecological limits seems increasingly implausible. Tracing and dissecting the complexities of social change, »Making Transformative Geographies« speaks about the development of visions, alternatives, and strategies for a radical transformation beyond accumulation and growth. Covering an empirical sample of 24 eco-social organizations, projects, and groupings in the city of Stuttgart (Germany), the book drills down into the social, spatial, and strategic dimensions of transformation. It advances a conceptually and empirically grounded assessment of the possibilities and limitations of community activism and civic engagement for shifting transformative geographies towards a degrowth trajectory.

The measures implemented to adapt to climate change are primarily designed to address the tangible, biophysical impacts of climate change in a given geographic area. They rarely consider the wider social implications of climate change, nor the politics of adaptation planning and its outcomes. Given the necessity of significant investment in adaptation over years to come, adaptation planning and implementation will need to place greater concern on justice-sensitive approaches to avoid exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and creating maladaptive and conflicting outcomes. Building on recent calls for more just and transformative adaptation planning, this paper offers a flexible analytical framework for integrating theories of justice and transformation into research on climate change adaptation. We discuss adaptation planning as an inherently normative and political process linked to issues pertaining to recognition justice as well as distributional and procedural aspects of justice. The paper aims to contribute to the growing discussion on just adaptation by intersecting theoretical justice dimensions with spatial, temporal and socio-political challenges and choices that arise as part of adaptation planning processes. A focus on justice-sensitive adaptation planning not only provides opportunities for examining spatial as well as temporal justice issues in relation to planning and decision-making processes. It also paves the way for a more critical approach to adaptation planning that acknowledges the need for institutional restructuring and offers steps towards alternative futures under climate change conditions.

The measures implemented to adapt to climate change are primarily designed to address the tangible, biophysical impacts of climate change in a given geographic area. They rarely consider the wider social implications of climate change, nor the politics of adaptation planning and its outcomes. Given the necessity of significant investment in adaptation over years to come, adaptation planning and implementation will need to place greater concern on justice-sensitive approaches to avoid exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and creating maladaptive and conflicting outcomes. Building on recent calls for more just and transformative adaptation planning, this paper offers a flexible analytical framework for integrating theories of justice and transformation into research on climate change adaptation. We discuss adaptation planning as an inherently normative and political process linked to issues pertaining to recognition justice as well as distributional and procedural aspects of justice. The paper aims to contribute to the growing discussion on just adaptation by intersecting theoretical justice dimensions with spatial, temporal and socio-political challenges and choices that arise as part of adaptation planning processes. A focus on justice-sensitive adaptation planning not only provides opportunities for examining spatial as well as temporal justice issues in relation to planning and decision-making processes. It also paves the way for a more critical approach to adaptation planning that acknowledges the need for institutional restructuring and offers steps towards alternative futures under climate change conditions.

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Introduction -- Outline -- Chapter 1: Growth in the Capitalocene -- Chapter 2: Alternative economies -- Chapter 3: Transformation, transition, and agency -- Interlude I: Geographies of change -- Outline -- Chapter 4: Reimagining togetherness -- Chapter 5: Materialization -- Chapter 6: Scale and power in transformative geographies -- Chapter 7: From transformative geographies to a degrowth transition -- Interlude II: Strategies for transformation -- Outline -- Chapter 8: A practice theory methodology -- Chapter 9: Planning and conducting research on a degrowth case study -- Chapter 10: Research as practice -- Chapter 11: Data analysis -- Outline -- Of infidels and agnostics -- Chapter 12: Alternatives -- Chapter 13: Constraints -- Chapter 14: Enablement -- Chapter 15: Compromise -- Interlude III: Of transition -- Outline -- Chapter 16: Sketching a degrowth transition -- Chapter 17: Degrowth practices -- Chapter 18: Degrowth organizations -- Chapter 19: Degrowth strategies -- Chapter 20: Transformative geographies and socio-spatial strategies -- Concluding thoughts on making transformative geographies -- Acknowledgements -- References

While practice theories and diverse economy approaches are widely employed by human geographers, the two literatures have developed in parallel, rather than in dialogue. This article argues that this has constrained understandings of postcapitalist social change and traces an emerging theoretical conversation between these traditions. It outlines the potential of scholarly engagement with what we term 'diverse practices', especially when discussing the scalar possibilities and constraints of community activism. By grounding diverse economic scholarship in practice-theoretical conceptions of power, politics, and scale, the article proposes a materialisation of postcapitalist possibility and explores the barriers and facilitators of transformative geographies.

This article emerges from the simple observation that community-based social and environmental activists often engage with practices of mindfulness, either personally or collectively. It draws on two case studies, a UK-based Transition initiative and a community of social entrepreneurs in Germany. On the surface, social and environmental activists, committed to change in the 'real world', outward facing and public, jar with practices of 'mindfulness': personal and interior actions –'private'. We argue that post-foundationalist understandings of community, particularly Nancy's being-in-common – popularised within geography as 'community economies' – and the philosophical and spiritual roots of mindfulness are two lines of thought that provide clues to this co-occurrence. Going beyond understandings of collectivity that build on the coming together of preformed individuals or presuppose a common substance, we set the (Westernised) Buddhist influences on mindfulness, specifically the notion of interbeing, side by side with Nancy's being-in-common. This article argues that both the political and spiritual aspects of activism are integral parts of social change. It concludes that post-foundational and Buddhist-inspired lines of thought cross-fertilise and chart a course towards transformative mindfulness.

This article outlines the community economies of Esch-sur-Alzette, the 'second city' of Luxembourg. 'Community economies' – an approach outlined by J.K. Gibson-Graham – draws attention to alternative narratives of economic development and the representation of economic identity. Despite (the Grand Duchy of) Luxembourg's reputation as a European Union centre, with substantial finance and tax activity, Esch-sur-Alzette is a post-industrial and multilingual melting pot. The alternative narrative here is of the multiple community-based organisations and movements in Esch-sur-Alzette: an energy cooperative, urban gardening, an upcycling clothing factory, a local food shop and restaurant, and vibrant civil society discussions and interventions in (inter)national politics. Civil society, while central to both understandings of grassroots environmental action and the community economies framework of Gibson-Graham, takes on quite a different flavour in Luxembourg. This article then takes the case of Luxembourg to reread the relationship of the state to the so-called third sector, in doing so defending the political possibilities of community economies.

This article outlines the community economies of Esch-sur-Alzette, the 'second city' of Luxembourg. 'Community economies' – an approach outlined by J.K. Gibson-Graham – draws attention to alternative narratives of economic development and the representation of economic identity. Despite (the Grand Duchy of) Luxembourg's reputation as a European Union centre, with substantial finance and tax activity, Esch-sur-Alzette is a post-industrial and multilingual melting pot. The alternative narrative here is of the multiple community-based organisations and movements in Esch-sur-Alzette: an energy cooperative, urban gardening, an upcycling clothing factory, a local food shop and restaurant, and vibrant civil society discussions and interventions in (inter)national politics. Civil society, while central to both understandings of grassroots environmental action and the community economies framework of Gibson-Graham, takes on quite a different flavour in Luxembourg. This article then takes the case of Luxembourg to reread the relationship of the state to the so-called third sector, in doing so defending the political possibilities of community economies.